In 2023, Traders Point’s Outreach ministry launched Serve Saturday with the goal of engaging people at Traders Point in the work that God is doing in our city. Serve Saturday provides a tangible way for our church body to serve beyond the church walls, allowing our people to interact with the community in meaningful and healthy ways. This might look like building a fence to create a safe space for kids to play at the Cooper House, creating welcome bags for residents at Wheeler Mission, or serving with Shepherd Community Center’s Food Pantry to help neighbors struggling from food insecurity.
The Awaken journey has us waking up to all that God is doing in us and through us. When it comes to serving others in the community, we know God’s on the move!
God has worked in unique ways through each Serve Saturday project, and the excitement around the experience has blown us away. Since its launch, we've completed 50 projects with 13 different partners, have had over 800 people participate, and have seen many of our participants return to serve on multiple Serve Saturday projects, deepening their relationships with local partners.
One of our local partners, Brookside CDC, recently received a grant to plant a community garden. The dream for this garden was to produce fresh vegetables, encourage healthy eating habits for their neighbors, and bring beauty to the neighborhood. More than 30 people from Traders Point worked to bring Brookside's community garden to life during our April, May and July Serve Saturdays. Because of programs like the community garden, there are more opportunities for renewal and transformation on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis. We're grateful for the partnership and the opportunity Traders Point has to make a difference in our city.
We may never see the full impact of the work completed on a Serve Saturday, but we do know that God is continuing to make a difference through our partners in the lives of the people they serve, and we're grateful we get to play a small part in that.
Serve Saturday will continue to be an important component of Traders Point's outreach efforts, offering ongoing opportunities for our church body to serve. Whether with family, a small group, or friends, there's a place for everyone to make an impact. We celebrate the success of Serve Saturday and invite everyone at Traders Point to join us in this ongoing journey to make a difference in our city.
Get involved by visiting tpcc.org/community.